Every day we come across travelers who don’t see the value in employing the services of a travel advisor or travel consultant and believe they can do it better themselves with the help of their search engine. Sure there is a cost associated with employing a travel advisor but travel advisors endeavour to recover that cost for the client by saving them time, sourcing great deals and removing most if not all the stress (I’m told this is priceless!).
A search engine can only do what it’s programmed to do. A travel advisor can think beyond that using years of experience to work out the best solutions for your particular needs – do search engines consider visa restrictions, stopovers, timings and how to handle your cancellations/postponements and process refunds?
Here are some of the things that a search engine can’t do and the perks of using a travel advisor:
- Make recommendations for destinations around the world.
- Provide personal service from start to finish.
- Help plan every part of your trip, no matter how complex.
- Stay on top of everything, making you aware of the latest and greatest exciting trends.
- Save you time and money by doing the legwork in searching for different travel options.
- Offer you travel protection and make sure your trip is secure.
- Present you with information on promotions that are not available to the general public from hotels, cruises, resort and other travel providers/suppliers.
- Have access to the best tour packages and exclusive events.
- Provide travel assistance such as rebooking and managing travel delays.
- Answer numerous questions about destinations and logistics
- Offer payment plans – most online options are fully paid up front.
- Ability to think out of the box and manage complex group trips.
- Provide assistance to those with special needs (we are not talking about fussy eaters, but those too!).
- Planning a very special celebrations – from weddings to anniversaries to gender reveals.
- Eradicate the nervousness of traveling abroad for the first time and introducing you to a new culture, customs and managing language boundaries.
And here is an extra bonus during these crazy, uncertain times….. - When clients are stuck overseas will your search engine work for free and around the clock to get you back home?
If you are starting the see the difference but still not quite convinced, then let us highlight what the Travel Advisors Role is:
- To reduce stress and work
- To add value and convenience
- To be your advocate
- To take care of the little things
- To transform the entire experience from good to GREAT
- (Maybe) to have someone to blame should something go wrong!!
How to Find a Great One
One of the best ways to find a reputable travel advisor is to get referrals from family and friends. Anyone that has used that travel advisor for a previous trip and enjoyed their service is someone worth checking out. As with anything in life, we always suggest talking to at least two different travel advisors for comparison. Remember, they are there to work for you; should know their stuff and should make you feel comfortable.
Still trying to decide?
If you want to hire a travel advisor but are still not sure, ask yourselves these three questions before booking anything:
1. Are you traveling to a part of the world you’ve never been? If so, you need a travel advisor.
2. Can you get a better deal by using a travel advisor? (This question requires you pricing out your trip with and without one.)
3. Is this a big-budget, special-event kind of trip? If the answer is yes, go with a travel advisor for peace of mind.
Virtuoso recently published an article debunking some myths surrounding Travel Advisors
Finally convinced? What’s the next step?
Know your travel budget before you reach out to a travel advisor. This will probably be the first question they ask you and will help steer them toward the best destinations for your budget. If you are traveling somewhere that’s specialized, like going on that once-in-a-lifetime African safari or Antarctic expedition, find a specialist that knows that region inside and out. They will usually have the best deals and relationships with hotels and supplier companies in that area.
The initial conversation costs nothing so its worth picking up the phone and sharing your thoughts and exploring or brainstorming some ideas.
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If you don’t have time to plan your next vacation, need help finding family friendly hotels, tours and activities or just want an hour or two consulting then we are here to help. We can brainstorm destination ideas with you, work with you to design a custom itinerary or simply book a resort, villa or hotel stay for your family. Follow this link and we’ll set up a time to call you and let you know how we might help or advise you on what to do next.
